U.S. official: Trump cut deal with Putin after Zelensky ignored his requests

U.S. officials reveal that former President Donald Trump made a diesel fuel deal with Russia following Ukraine's refusal to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, according to a source familiar with the matter. This decision has caused a diplomatic crisis between Ukraine and the United States, potentially disrupting ongoing efforts to end the war. Zelensky, speaking to Axios, expressed his disappointment, calling the deal "not fair and not honest" and a "gift to Putin."

The strikes on Russian refineries had a significant impact on the Russian economy, causing an energy crisis and forcing Russia to ban diesel exports. This move exacerbated global diesel market pressures already strained by the Iran war. In response to these attacks, Zelensky offered to cease the assault on Russian refineries if Russia stopped targeting Ukrainian power plants.

During eight hours of talks in Miami, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner reportedly informed a Ukrainian negotiation team that Trump planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin and lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports. However, it was later reported that Trump decided to proceed with the deal after Ukraine ignored multiple requests to stop attacking Russian refineries, which were directly impacting U.S. consumers.

The ultimatum from Witkoff and Kushner reportedly included the threat of cutting off Ukraine from U.S. intelligence if they continued to disregard his requests. Despite the strain on both Russia and the U.S., Witkoff emphasized that the U.S. is a "strong partner" providing munitions and intelligence to Ukraine, and Ukraine should not exacerbate the pain felt by American consumers.

The crisis erupted after constructive U.S. and European mediators met with Ukrainian and European diplomats in Miami to finalize security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace deal. Discussions focused on postwar security guarantees, territorial solutions, and potential EU and NATO accession for Ukraine. The officials also explored the possibility of a Europe-Russia postwar security framework.

U.S. officials are considering visiting Moscow and Kyiv in the coming week to discuss peace proposals. However, the impact of Friday's tumultuous events on these plans remains unclear. During a 90-minute phone call with Trump, Putin refused to commit to resuming peace talks with Ukraine, citing Ukrainian strikes on Moscow and other cities during the Russian parliamentary elections as a hindrance to negotiations.